Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 477 Escorting Prisoners Back to the Capital to Report the Victory
Twenty thousand elite Arab troops, led by Hazar, approached the Tang army, followed by two Indian legions, totaling sixty thousand men, forming a triangular formation.

Forty thousand Arab troops remained in the area, including twenty thousand Lion Legion soldiers, ten thousand cavalry, and ten thousand archers.

The other 20,000 were the Holy Deer Legion, serving as a reserve force for the rear.

Suoman couldn't help but ask, "General Bai, why don't you send the cavalry to charge?"

Bai Tu glanced at him and said, "I'm saving these 10,000 cavalry for the 5,000 enemies who are hiding."

Seeing that although he was arrogant in words, Suoman was actually quite cautious in his military operations, and nodded secretly without saying anything more.

When the Arab army charged, their momentum was astonishing. They shouted the Quran, their blood surged, their faces were flushed, and they had a fanatical expression of recklessness on their faces!

Such a charging posture alone is enough to terrify many enemies.

Unfortunately, the Tang army they faced was like cold, hard steel, an unfeeling machine, completely unaffected.

The two armies shared a remarkably similar mindset.

They had never lost a battle, and when facing any enemy, they would naturally assume that they would be the ones to win in the end.

However, there can only be one winner.

On the high slope, Li Xiao watched the Abbasid army charge into the Tang army's formation and was deeply shocked.

Without witnessing it firsthand, it's difficult to grasp the visual impact of war. From a distance, it looks like a surging wave crashing violently against the mountainside.

Dust billowed, obscuring the view, but it couldn't block out the sounds of clashing swords and roaring battle.

The Tang army's armor coverage rate was actually higher than that of the Abbasid army. However, the Lion Legion was an elite Abbasid force with an armor coverage rate no lower than that of the Tang army, and their weapons were all brand new.

That's why this battle was all the more brutal.

The Tang army was as solid as a rock, constantly blocking the advancing Abbasid army. The Abbasid army, however, was fearless and fought one after another. Blood was everywhere, limbs flew everywhere, and the battlefield turned into a sea of ​​blood.

Li Xiao clenched his fists, his forehead covered in sweat, and although he was outside the battlefield, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

Just then, he heard Wang Xuance and Qinling speak at the same time.

Wang Xuance uttered a single word, "Good," and clapped his fists together in front of his chest. Qinling spoke in Tibetan, but his expression also revealed delight.

Just as Li Xiaozheng was about to ask a question, he heard a sharp blast of bugle calls, and the Abbasid army began to retreat.

The Tang army did not pursue, but instead adjusted their formation on the spot, moved the wounded, and moved the soldiers who had been at the front to the back to rest.

Li Xiao was both surprised and delighted, and asked, "Did we win?"

Wang Xuance smiled and said, "It's too early to say, but at least we've managed to block the first wave of attacks."

Qinling exclaimed, "I really don't know how Protector Su trained these soldiers. They have such amazing fighting spirit and strong resilience."

What the two were unaware of was that Su Dingfang's infantry formation was designed to defend against cavalry charges, and it would easily overpower the Arab infantry.

However, though they were unaware of it, the Arabs realized the seriousness of the problem.

"What did you say? More than three thousand dead and wounded? And this has only been going on for a short time?" Bai Tu could hardly believe his ears.

Hadza had lost its earlier vigor; it had transformed from a proud male bear into a dejected bear.

"General, this enemy force seems... seems different. They are strong-willed, have sharp weapons, and move cleanly and efficiently. All their attacks are aimed at the soldiers' vital points. Once hit, they are either killed or wounded. They are like a group of butchers!"

Bai Tu, barely suppressing his anger, asked, "How many of them were killed or injured?"

"This...it shouldn't be even half of what we have, right?"

"what?"

"Strictly speaking, it's probably only about 30% of us..."

Bai Tu was shocked. His unwavering will wavered for the first time. Why was there such a large difference in casualties when the two sides were evenly matched on the battlefield?

He naturally did not understand that the Arab army was driven by religious beliefs, and although the soldiers were fearless, they did not know how to protect themselves.

The Tang army consisted of seasoned veterans who, while killing the enemy, also knew how to minimize the damage they suffered.

Therefore, they were evenly matched in terms of momentum, and the Arabs were even slightly stronger, but the result was not the same as the actual situation.

Suoman said in a deep voice, "General Baitu, let's retreat. To deal with the Tang people, we can't fight them head-on; we need to use strategy!"

Bai Tu glanced at him and said coldly, "To retreat or surrender when faced with a powerful enemy is cowardly! Only by overcoming difficulties and defeating strong enemies can we be true warriors. With God's protection, we will surely win!"

Suoman sighed inwardly and said, "Then I will return to headquarters and await your orders."

Bai Tu ignored him and said to Hazar, "I'm transferring 10,000 archers to you. I hope you won't disappoint me this time!"

He had originally reserved these 10,000 archers for siege warfare, but now he couldn't worry about that anymore; winning this battle was the priority.

Hadza mustered his spirits, accepted the order, and left.

On the high slope, Li Xiao saw the enemy launch a second charge. In this battle, the sound of bowstrings pierced the air, and a dense barrage of arrows shot towards the rear of the Tang army.

The Tang army, seasoned by countless battles, remained calm. The soldiers raised their shields and held them diagonally above their heads. Although some soldiers sustained damage, the impact was minimal.

Thus, just like the first round, this second round of attacks could not shake the Tang army's formation at all.

The fighting spirit of the Indian army was far inferior to that of the Tang and Arab armies. Seeing the unfavorable situation, they began to panic, and many rushed into the Arab army's ranks, trampling each other and killing many Arabs.

Left with no other option, Bai Tu had to order the vanguard to retreat once again.

This retreat was far more chaotic than the previous one, especially the Indian army, which was only concerned with running fast and did not listen to orders at all. What was originally an orderly retreat seemed to have turned into a rout.

Fortunately, the Tang army did not pursue them, otherwise the situation would have been even worse.

Seeing this situation, Bai Tu was completely at a loss. This was the first time he had encountered such a setback, and he didn't know what to do. Should he send out his cavalry?

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves shook the earth as a Tang army galloped in from the southwest, moving at an incredible speed, like an arrow released from a bow.

The Tang army's drums thundered, and the Tang infantry charged forward.

Bai Tu, being a seasoned warrior, remained calm and ordered his 10,000 cavalry to meet the Tang cavalry, while also commanding his infantry to switch from offense to defense, preparing to repel the Tang army's charge.

Unfortunately, although his orders were accurate, they were not perfectly conveyed.

The Tang cavalry had been conserving their strength and, combined with their high-altitude charge, were unstoppable.

When the Arab cavalry wanted to regroup and launch an attack, they were unable to adjust their formation to meet the enemy due to the retreating troops.

Su Dingfang's greatest strength was his ability to control the battlefield situation; he keenly grasped the best time to strike.

The Arab cavalry were already inferior to the Tang cavalry, and were further affected by multiple factors. Before they could even reach their maximum speed, they had to engage in close combat with the Tang cavalry, and their formation was quite scattered. The outcome was predictable.

In less than half an hour, the Arab cavalry were driven back by the Tang cavalry.

Seeing the Tang cavalry easily break through his own cavalry and then charge into his own infantry formation from the flank, Bai Tu was once again filled with bewilderment and disbelief, almost wondering if this was a nightmare!
In fact, the fighting strength of his Lion Legion was not much weaker than that of the Tang army. With the addition of the Holy Deer Legion and the Indian army, this battle should not have ended up like this.

Unfortunately, his life was too smooth. Although he said he would not underestimate his enemies, he actually underestimated Su Dingfang and did not regard him as an opponent of equal level.

While Bai Tu was still in a daze, the Arab infantry formation was completely thrown into chaos by the Tang cavalry's cutting, and was even less able to withstand the Tang infantry's charge.

With defeat inevitable, Bai Tu's personal guards began their retreat.

Since they are currently in Kunming-Tibetan territory, it is practically impossible for them to escape back to the Great Bolu Kingdom.

Su Dingfang only needed to launch a continuous offensive to expand his gains and cause the Arab army to fall apart.

Li Xiao and Bai Tu, who were watching the battle from the high slope, were in a similar state of confusion. They hadn't expected that the battle, which had been at a stalemate, would suddenly turn into a one-sided situation.

When he came to his senses, only Su Pilanya was left by his side; Wang Xuance and Qinling were nowhere to be seen.

"Where have Governor Supi and Deputy Protector-General Wang gone?"

Su Pilanya laughed and said, "Of course we should return to the city and lead the troops to pursue them. Second Prince, have you noticed that before this battle, General Wang Xuance and that kid Qinling did not think highly of Protector Su and thought he would lose?"

Li Xiaodao: "No way."

Su Pilanya snorted, "Why not? If they trusted Protector Su, they should have prepared their troops in advance so that they could pursue him together after he won the battle!"

Li Xiao suddenly realized, "That makes sense." Su Pilanya said, "I'm different from them; I knew from the beginning that Protector Su would definitely win!"

Li Xiaoqi asked, "Why do you have so much confidence in Protector Su?"

Su Pilanya laughed and said, "Because I once crossed the Kunlun-Tibet no-man's-land with Protector Su. At that time, I felt that he was a more capable person than General Xue. Alas, it's a pity that he's already old, otherwise..."

Li Xiaozheng was about to ask what else to do when he suddenly realized something, his cheeks turning bright red. He thought to himself, "This Supilanya is too unrestrained. Hu women are indeed different from women in Chang'an." Deep down, he actually liked this kind of woman very much.

The battle below had turned into a pursuit, a chaotic mess, and there wasn't much to see, so Li Xiao and Su Pilanya returned to the city together.

Upon returning to the military headquarters in the city, they had just entered the main hall when they saw Princess Wencheng sitting inside waiting for them. She immediately rose to greet them upon their arrival.

"Erlang, what's the situation outside? I heard that Deputy Protector-General Wang rushed back and led 20,000 troops out of the city. Did Protector-General Su win or lose?"

Li Xiao laughed heartily and said, "We won! We won a great victory."

Princess Wencheng was overjoyed and asked how she had won.

Li Xiao thought for a moment, then spread his hands and said, "I don't know how we won. Sigh, Sanlang was right, fighting is indeed a profound art!" After saying that, he couldn't help but yawn.

Princess Wencheng smiled and said, "You must be tired after your long journey. Go and rest for a while."

Seeing that the crisis in Gar City had been resolved, Li Xiao felt a sense of relief and realized he was indeed exhausted. He found a military official, asked for a room, and went to sleep immediately.

In a daze, Li Xiao felt very hungry and was woken up by hunger.

I pushed open the door, but the sun had not yet set, and it seemed like I hadn't slept at all.

Just as he was about to ask someone where the kitchen was, Princess Wencheng walked over from the corridor.

"Erlang, you're finally awake. You must have been exhausted these past few days," Princess Wencheng said with a smile.

Li Xiao was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Auntie, have I been asleep for a long time?"

"Yes, it's been almost a day and a night."

"What?" Li Xiao exclaimed.

Princess Wencheng covered her mouth and smiled, saying, "You really scared Protector Su and Deputy Protector Wang. Fortunately, the doctor said you were just overworked, so they were relieved and told others not to disturb you."

Li Xiao asked in surprise, "Has Protector Su already returned?"

Princess Wencheng said, "Yes, they chased after them all night and returned this morning."

Li Xiao hurriedly asked, "What's the situation? How many heads were taken? Have you captured the enemy commander? Have you wiped them out in one fell swoop?"

Princess Wencheng laughed and said, "I can't answer all of your questions. All I know is that we captured an enemy general surnamed Su."

Li Xiaodao: "Surname Su? Isn't the enemy commander surnamed Bai?"

Princess Wencheng was about to reply when she suddenly heard Li Xiao's stomach growl. She laughed and said, "Let me take you to eat first, and I'll tell you while we eat."

During the meal, Li Xiaocai finally learned the truth.

It turns out that when Su Dingfang was pursuing the fleeing Arab army, Suleiman led 20,000 Holy Deer Legion troops to cover the rear, successfully buying time for Bai Tu and others to escape.

Of course, he could no longer escape. His entire force of 20,000 men was wiped out, and he was captured alive by Su Dingfang.

Su Dingfang continued the pursuit, but failed to catch the Arabs; instead, he caught up with a considerable number of Indian soldiers.

Upon seeing the Tang army, these Indian soldiers immediately knelt and bowed, showing no will to fight.

Su Dingfang looked down on them, was unwilling to accept their surrender, and also didn't want to kill them, so he let them go.

During his pursuit, Wang Xuance also encountered a group of surrendered Indian soldiers. He had always longed to conquer India and hoped to help the Tang Dynasty take over this land, so he accepted the surrender of these Indians and kept them for future use.

After having breakfast, Li Xiao decided to meet Su Dingfang to ask him how he won.

Su Dingfang was not stationed in the military headquarters inside the city, but in the main camp outside the city. After Li Xiao arrived at the main camp, he was taken to Su Dingfang's command tent.

After waiting for a long time, Su Dingfang did not arrive, but instead, Su Dingfang's deputy general, Tang Xiujing, appeared.

"This humble servant, Tang Xiujing, pays his respects to Your Highness Prince Xu."

Li Xiao frowned and asked, "Where is Protector Su? Does he refuse to come to see me?"

Tang Xiujing cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. Lord Su has gone to the fields and hasn't returned yet."

"What? Go to the fields?" Li Xiao's eyes widened.

Tang Xiujing smiled wryly and said, "Yes, well... Su Gong's hobbies are a bit different from others; he's used to farming."

Li Xiao asked in astonishment, "How could he have such a hobby?"

Tang Xiujing sighed, "I know you find it hard to believe. Actually, I didn't believe it at first either. It was only after spending a long time with Master Su that I had no choice but to believe it."

"But...didn't we just have a major battle? Why isn't he dealing with the aftermath, but instead running off to farm?"

Tang Xiujing said, "The enemy troops have all withdrawn from Kunming and Tibet, so Su Gong said his mission was complete. He and Deputy Protector-General Wang have an agreement that Su Gong will only be responsible for military affairs, while the affairs of government and people's livelihood will be left to Deputy Protector-General Wang."

Li Xiao stared blankly at the ground, never imagining that such a brave general would enjoy farming.

Tang Xiujing glanced at him and said, "Lord Su is a very special person. Unlike other generals, he does not like fighting."

Li Xiaoleng asked, "Then why did he join the army?"

Tang Xiujing said, "He saw that the world was in chaos, and the people could not farm in peace and were starving. That's why he decided to join the army to end the chaos and allow everyone to farm in peace."

Li Xiao was filled with respect and said, "So that's how it is."

Tang Xiujing slowly said, "Later, when the world was at peace, he prepared to retire and return to farming. It was General Li Jing who invited him out again. Over the years, if His Majesty had not entrusted him with important responsibilities and put him in charge of the Kunzang Protectorate, he would probably have returned to farming long ago."

Li Xiao blinked and said, "He's such a good fighter, wouldn't it be a waste if he went to farm?"

Tang Xiujing smiled and said, "Your Highness is right. We also tried to persuade him in the same way, but he said that he had already passed on all his skills to General Pei Xingjian."

Li Xiaodao: "But General Pei Xingjian is definitely not as good as him!"

Tang Xiujing laughed and said, "Please rest assured, my colleagues and I will not let Lord Su go back to farming. If he had left, how could we have achieved such a great victory today?"

Li Xiaoyi slapped his thigh and said, "That's right, we can't let him go!"

Tang Xiujing smiled and said, "In that case, it would be better for Your Highness not to see Lord Su. Otherwise, if he sees you, he will definitely express his desire to return to farming and then ask you to convey it to His Majesty!"

Li Xiao hurriedly stood up, waved his hand and said, "If that's the case, then I won't see Lord Su. Farewell." He then left in a hurry.

After leaving the military camp, he realized that he had forgotten to ask Su Dingfang how he had won the battle.

On second thought, he figured it wouldn't hurt to ask Wang Xuance, so after returning to the city, he went straight to find Wang Xuance.

Wang Xuance seemed to be looking for him as well. Seeing him enter the room, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness has come at the right time. I have something I would like to ask of Your Highness."

Li Xiaoqi asked, "What is it?"

Wang Xuance said, "I have discussed with Protector Su that we would like to escort Su Aoman to Chang'an to present our victory, and we hope that Your Highness will personally escort him."

"I?"

Wang Xuance said, "Yes, the journey from here to Chang'an is long, and we also have to escort Suoman and a group of prisoners. By the time we arrive in Chang'an, it should be August or September. Your Highness can stay in Chang'an and return to Kunzang after the end of the year."

Li Xiao, thinking that he could return to Chang'an ahead of time, readily agreed, beaming with joy, "In that case, I agree. However, I also have something I would like to ask Vice Protector Wang for help."

"Your Highness, please give me your instructions."

Li Xiaodao: "Could you tell me exactly how Protector Su won the battle?"

Wang Xuance paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "It's actually very simple..." He then explained in detail the key points and crucial details of Su Dingfang's sudden counterattack during the gaps in the enemy's two unsuccessful attacks.

Li Xiao was finally satisfied. He had only inquired about these things so that he could tell Li Yong about them after returning to Chang'an.

Two days later, Li Xiao escorted Suoman back to Chang'an City, with three thousand soldiers as his escort.

(End of this chapter)